Posted on 09/12/2004 7:48:16 AM PDT by TigerLikesRooster
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It was reported that there was a massive explosion Thursday around the town of Yongjo-ri, Kim Hyong-jik County, Ryanggang Province. U.S. Department of State, sources familiar with North Korea and the Korean government all confirmed the explosion.
A high-ranking government official said Sunday, “It is true that a large mushroom cloud about 3.5 to 4 km in diameter was observed by a satellite at around 11:00 a.m. Thursday. It was not a nuclear test, but the explosion seemed to be three times bigger than the one that took place during the Ryongchon Station accident,” and added, “Both U.S. and Korean intelligence authorities are investigating what caused the explosion.”
Chong Wa Dae Spokesman Kim Jong-min said, “We noticed the explosion right after it took place and reported it to the president in writing during a National Security Council meeting. But we cannot decide the nature of the accident yet.”
The accident took place in a mountainous region 1,500 meter above sea level around Yongjo-ri, where it is known that there were many munitions factories nearby. In particular, the exact spot of explosion is only 10km away southwest from the Yongjo-ri base for Rodong 1 and 2 missiles and some 30km away from the Sino-Korean border.
There is much talk about the cause of the explosion. The government official said, “If a nuclear test causes an explosion, we can detect it by reading satellite data. Thus, the recent explosion in North Korea was not caused by a nuclear test.” The intelligence authorities assume that an ammunition depot with over 1,000 tons of dynamite or an ammunition car may have exploded, or there may have been a chain explosion of chemical material or a big fire. Some Chinese sources argue that a massive explosion took pace in a munitions factory. Hong Sun-jik, director at the Hyundai Economic Institute said, “Other than the assumption that it may be a simple accident that took place due to old facilities, we cannot exclude the possibility that the explosion may have taken place due to the lack of control of the Kim Jong-il regime, or it may have been connected to a secret feud over the successor of Kim Jong-il following the rumor of death of Kim’s wife, Koh Young-hee.”
Also, some strongly argue that it is not a simple accident because it took place on Sept.9, the North’s foundation day, which is considered a very important national holiday. Others argue that with Korea’s nuclear experiments in the past at issue in the international community, it could be a false explosion by North Korea to intensify the Korea’s nuclear issue. In other words, the North intentionally caused the explosion to deliver a message to the international community.
The government official said, “We will be able to know the exact cause only after North Korea makes an official statement or intelligence authorities announces the results of their analysis.”
(Choi Byung-mook, bmchoi@chosun.com )
They have not made any public announcement of "successful nuke test" over their airwaves.
Thought, I believe it fits in a B2, maybe a warning shot across the bow ? Who knows.
Another industrial accident in N Korea.
We need to send John Edweirds and a 1,000 of his fellow snakes, er trial lawyers to sue the hell out of the N Korean leaders.
Was the Texas city explosion the one that nearly wiped the town off the map and damaged some houses in Galveston?
They're assuming it was an accident. We did a conventional explosive test (100 tons of TNT, 0.1 kiloton) just before the first nuclear test (Trinity). Maybe the same thing is going on here.
Thank you for pinging me.
.
0 0.6
1.0 20
2.0 600 * Smallest quake people can normally feel
3.0 20 000 * Most people near epicenter feel the quake
* Nearly 100, 000 occur every year of size 2.5 - 3.0
4.0 60 000 * A small fission atomic bomb
* Quakes above 4.5 can cause local damage
5.0 20 000 000 * A standard fission bomb, similar to the first bomb tested in New
Mexico, U.S.
6.0 60 000 000 * A hydrogen bomb; can cause great damage locally
* About 100 shallow quakes of size 6.0 every year
7.0 20 billion * Major earthquake; about 14 every year
* Enough energy to heat New York City for 1 year
* Large enough to be detected all over globe
8.0 60 billion * Largest known: 8.9 in Japan and in Chile/Ecuador
* San Francisco destroyed by 8.25 in 1906
9.0 20 trillion * Roughly the worldÕs energy usage in a year
The accident took place in a mountainous region 1,500 meter above sea level around Yongjo-ri, where it is known that there were many munitions factories nearby... The government official said, "If a nuclear test causes an explosion, we can detect it by reading satellite data. Thus, the recent explosion in North Korea was not caused by a nuclear test."A munitions factory explosion, cool. The last thing North Korea needs is more munitions. Systemic incompetence, mental errors due to malnutrition, mass suicide, or signs that Pyongyang is building stockpiles for the Last Big Push?
My first guess is a special forces operation
Another train? filled with, uh, long cylindrical armaments?
HEAD COUNT ! All Syrian scientists in NKorea not dead raise your hands!
3 times larger? That's a big explosion. It's seems like a munitions (Ammo) dump went high order. I bet those dummies in NK do not practice safe munitions storage. You have to store high explosives at a site so they do not cause damage to other facilities if they mass detonate.
Either the North Koreans store massive amounts of ammo in a single location (a bad practice), or they stored high explosives that were too close together - if one site mass detonates - the other locations mass detonate as of consequence.
The United States military has millions of tons of explosives stored throughout the country, but you never hear of such an accident. In contrast, communist nations throughout history have always some bomb dump blow to high heaven because they are sloppy.
Yeah, I am glad that I am not a N. Korean soldier. There are so many things that can kill you. Starvation, disease, work accident, enemy sabotage, to name a few.
Thanks for the ping. I'm sorry I won't be able to add anything to your thread beyond this short note. Mrs. Boot Hill and I are busy rushing to get packed and head out to the Sierra Foothills to see our BRAND NEW GRANDDAUGHTER, our son and wonder daughter-in-law! No details yet on the baby, I'll fill you in when I get back, Tuesday or Wednesday.
--Boot (I'm thrilled) Hill
Congrats Boot!!!!!!
| Korean Mushroom Cloud Was Nuclear Test, Says Kim Jong Il!!! |
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| Posted by maquiladora On 09/12/2004 12:11:07 PM CDT · 1 reply · 3+ views thebentinel.com ^ PYONGYANG, North Korea - DPRK leader Kim Jong Il broke North Korea's silence Sunday on the explosion detected in its northern province of Ryanggang, resulting in a mushroom cloud over two miles in diameter. "In view of the danger we face in sharing the globe with an aggressor such as the United States," read Kim Jong on KCNA, "We felt we could no longer sit at the negotiating table while our enemies prepared for invasion on our soil. To prove our sincerity as well as our might, we launched this test of our nuclear arsenal. Let the world take note,... |
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There is an easy way to find out. The U.S. will test that mushroom cloud for radioactivity.
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